The School for Scandal, York Theatre Royal
Living my teenage years in the nineties, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was never off my screen for what seemed like the whole of the decade. I loved the following the highs and lows of Will Smith, the Banks family and their butler Geoffrey in Los Angeles.
So now as a 40-something living in York it was a strange but delightful surprise to see the Fresh Prince’s butler, Joseph Marcell, in a 1777 farce in my local theatre.
The School of Scandal, showing at the York Theatre Royal until tomorrow, is a bright and breezy modern take on Sheridan’s witty comedy of manners. A tricky task, as the original set out to explore the hypocrisy and gossip of London’s high society in the late 18th century, and this version takes us forward to the 1950s.
But gossip never goes out of fashion, and here’s a tale that’s deliciously naughty and outrageously silly, with a lot of over-dramatic posturing that the cast rise to with glee.
Marcell is outstanding in the role of Sir Peter Teazle, a respected wealthy man who is contentedly enjoying his riches when he is finally ensnared by a young wife. When he starts to believe – mistakenly – that she is sleeping with someone else, then she starts to think that if her husband believes it, she may as well give it a go. After all, if you’re going to cause a scandal, you might as well enjoy it…
The local gossips are delighted, the well-named Mrs Candour, Backbite and Crabtree, who love to tell stories and put the cat among the pigeons. And we think that gossip is a modern concept!
Marcell steals the show with great stage presence and brilliant timing and delivery, and another standout performance came from Garmon Rhys who doubled as Charles and Backbite. In fact, the doubling-up of characters throughout was particularly impressive in this production, brought to the Theatre Royal by Tilted Wig and Malvern Theatres in association with Theatre by Lake, and directed by Sean Aydon.
Tim Farr
Details and tickets: https://www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/the-school-for-scandal/
Box office: 01904 623568
Stagey Lady 